Deadline: 2 June 2026, 12:00 (noon), subsequent deadline in 2027
This funding programme offers researchers the opportunity to apply for seed funding for novel projects carried out jointly by at least two partners. The aim is to enable the acquisition of additional third-party funding. This includes the strategic preparation of proposals for major funding formats (e.g. Collaborative Research Centres) as well as significantly smaller collaborative projects. The programme is open to all topics and disciplines.
1. Scope of Funding
Funding is available for researchers from at least two different institutions who wish to establish a new research project jointly and who pursue a clear strategic preparation for securing third-party funding. In the assessment, the originality and potential of the research question are valued more highly than the risk of failure due to uncertainties inherent in the research process.
Eligible applicants are researchers at universities in the State of Lower Saxony in accordance with Section 2 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG) and at research institutions (co-)funded by the State. Applicants are required to inform the university/institute management of their submission.
Eligible costs include personnel, consumables, and investments for a project duration of up to four years and a funding volume of up to EUR 800,000. Due to the seed-funding character of the programme, funding of doctoral projects is excluded.
Funding for cooperation partners outside Lower Saxony is possible, provided that their share of the total budget does not exceed 20%.
To implement international collaborations, applicants may additionally apply for an internationalisation module.
| Cost category | Eligible | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel costs (incl. applicants own position) | According to average rates of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Finance | |
| Doctoral projects | Not eligible | |
| Consumables & equipment | Excluding ongoing operating costs for scientific equipment | |
| Travel expenses / conferences | According to BRK and NRKVO | |
| Publication costs (open access) | Up to EUR 10,000 | |
| Lump sum for administrative and infrastructure expenditure | 10% lump sum for administrative and infrastructure expenditure (VIAP) | |
| Construction costs, basic equipment, catering | Not eligible |
Detailed information is provided under Information on eligible costs and budget.
2. Application and Selection Procedure
2.1 Procedure and time schedule
| Step | Date | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Online info sessions | Dates will be published on the website | Participation is obligatory in order to assess whether an application is viable |
| Submission deadline | 01.06.2026 (noon) | Submission via the funding portal |
| Funding decision | approx. 9 months after the deadline | Written notification |
| Project start date | Flexible within one year after approval |
2.2 Procedure
The review is organised jointly by Volkswagen Foundation and the office of the Wissenschaftliche Kommission Niedersachsen. An interdisciplinary panel of renowned scholars from outside Lower Saxony assesses proposals based on the following criteria:
- Currently, funding of the project by other funders (DFG etc.) does not appear possible or is very unlikely.
- Clear and plausible strategy for continuing the project through third-party funding beyond the programme zukunft.niedersachsen after the funding period.
- Originality and scientific relevance of the research question.
- Qualification and complementarity of the applicants with regard to the addressed topics.
- Appropriateness and plausibility of the work plan and budget.
- Presentation of the specifically planned course of the project using milestones/indicators, including stop criteria for high-risk projects.
- Where applicable: delineation from similar ongoing projects.
If the number of applications is too high, a pre-selection of the applications based on the Scientific Abstract has to take place. The Scientific Abstract has to be completed in the application portal.
3. Submission
Applications must be submitted exclusively via the VolkswagenStiftung funding portal. Please select the corresponding call in the portal overview for this information sheet.
For technical questions regarding portal use, please contact support@volkswagenstiftung.de.
The application must be submitted in English.
Submitting your application – step by step
1. Carefully review this information sheet and clarify eligibility requirements.
2. Mandatory participation in an online consultation hour; registration information on the website.
3. Register in the application portal.
4. Download all templates:
- Template for the project description (download, docx)
- Budget plan template (available in the portal)
- DFG CV template
- Template for the data management plan (download, docx)
- Explanations (including input tax deduction, data protection, in German/download)
5. Prepare the application documents according to the templates and complete the portal fields (e.g. summary for external communication and scientific abstract).
6. Additional annexes are not required. All relevant content should be included in the project description.
7. Submit online via the funding portal before the deadline.
4. Further information
4.1 Open Science
It is expected that all project participants will observe the DFG’s rules of good research practice at their institutions, and the DFG’s guidelines on handling of research data. It is also expected that the project results will be published, in particular in joint peer-reviewed publications that are accessible internationally wherever possible. Publication in open access journals is particularly welcome.
If data collection is planned, the essential information must be presented in a data management plan (basic data management plan of the Volkswagen Foundation or a more detailed data management plan for the respective discipline). If no data will be generated in the project, this must be explicitly stated in the application text. The costs for the preparation of research data must be included in the application budget.
4.2 Equal Opportunity Funds
The project team’s composition should align with the DFG’s standards on gender equality and diversity. The role of gender and diversity dimensions in the research process (methods, work programme, objectives) and in the transfer/translation process must be explained. The relevant information will be taken into account during the review process.
4.3 Animal Studies
If animal studies are planned, please explain their role within the overall methodology, which standards have been followed in the planning of the experiment (e.g. PREPARE/ARRIVE guidelines), which refinement measures are planned and whether pre-registration of the experi-ment is intended. Please describe the extent to which the 3R principle (replace – reduce – re-fine) is applied in a particularly innovative way and state the budget reserved for this purpose.
zukunft.niedersachsen also encourages applicants to use non-animal laboratory materials (e.g. recom-binant antibodies, non-animal sera and gels) in their experiments. The costs of these materials can be included in the expenditure plan under the category “Material Costs”.
5. Contact
Dates for online consultation sessions are available on the call website.
Dr. Tabea Golgath
E-Mail: tabea.golgath@mwk.niedersachsen.de
Phone: +49 511 – 120 2575
For questions regarding the financial plan:
Theresa Przylenk
E-Mail: theresa.przyklenk@mwk.niedersachsen.de
Phone: +49 511 – 120 2522
For questions regarding the funding portal:
Diana Schumacher
E-Mail: schumacher@volkswagenstiftung.de
Phone: +49 511 83 81 – 372
As of March 2026